To raise awareness of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at the European level, May is European Diversity Month (#EUDiversityMonth).
Throughout this month, Diversity is celebrated and promoted through a series of events coordinated by the national representatives of the Diversity Charter.
In fact, Diversity represents one of the pillars of the European Union, whose motto is indeed “United in diversity”. Accepting and respecting the characteristics that make us unique and different, such as ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or social background, are recognized as important aspects for the development of organizations and society in general.
MKOR is a signatory of the Romanian Diversity Charter and its research partner. Therefore, we happily accepted the invitation to participate in the activities organized for European Diversity Month.
For us, the most valuable information is that obtained directly from the source. So, we chose to mark this moment in the best way we know how: by conducting a study.
More specifically, we set out to explore employee perceptions regarding existing D&I policies and practices within their organizations.
Sign up here to receive the full results of the latest MKOR study on Diversity and Inclusion in Romanian Organizations.
The “Diversity Management in Romania” Forum
The results of the study focusing on the employee perspective will be publicly presented during the “Diversity Management in Romania” Forum.
The event will take place virtually on May 20, 2021, and is organized by the Romanian Diversity Charter and its signatories. The main objective is to offer examples of best practices for ensuring a work environment that is as inclusive, equitable, and innovative as possible.
During the two scheduled discussion panels, representatives of the Charter’s signatory companies will speak, such as: Vodafone, BCR, Edenred, Sanofi, Brown-Forman, LSEG Romania, Societe Generale Global Solution Center, Enel, Philip Morris, and Kaufland.
What do Diversity and Inclusion mean for organizations in Romania?
This is a question we have sought to answer since 2020, when we conducted the first study on D&I Management in Romanian organizations.
For entrepreneurs, managers, and HR specialists, D&I management means, first and foremost, equal opportunities for all employees.
Furthermore, a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to ensuring the mental and emotional well-being of employees, who are more motivated and satisfied at work. And valuing employees for their uniqueness contributes both to increased productivity and to the diversity of ideas and, implicitly, to innovation.
Beyond identifying the main benefits of D&I for organizations, other aspects considered in this research aimed at:
- highlighting the most common D&I practices;
- identifying the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to evaluate D&I practices;
- exploring the obstacles encountered in implementation.
Recently, Corina Cimpoca spoke on the show Conviețuiri (TVR 1) about the situation of D&I management in Romanian organizations. You can watch the full intervention below.
New context, new challenges
Discrimination and physical or verbal aggression are among the most frequent manifestations of intolerance and exclusion in the workplace. Even though working from home was widely adopted during the pandemic, discriminatory practices have not disappeared.
On the contrary, such behaviors managed to cross the phone or computer screen. Thus, cyberbullying has become a frequently encountered phenomenon in an organizational context.
The prevalence of cyberbullying in the workplace was accelerated by the COVID_19 pandemic, becoming a challenge for companies adhering to D&I principles.
To respond to these new realities, organizations must include in their D&I policies procedures regarding the combating and prevention of cyberbullying behaviors.
How Cyberbullying manifests and what implications it has in the workplace
In general, cyberbullying refers to the use of digital technologies (email, social media, video conferencing or instant messaging applications) to intimidate, humiliate, or repeatedly undermine a person who cannot defend themselves.
Victims of such manifestations are, usually, younger people, women, members of the LGBTQ community, or people of another nationality or race.
In the online environment, aggressive behavior in the workplace can manifest in various forms. Subtle manifestations are:
- frequent interruptions while the target person is speaking
- their exclusion from certain meetings or from certain channels used in team communication
More aggressive forms involve the use of offensive language towards the target person or the publication of indecent or false images and information about this person.
Furthermore, the Internet allows aggressors to maintain their anonymity (by creating fake accounts) and have instant access to potential victims, without any limitations. Precisely for this reason, the effects that constant exposure to such behaviors has on employees are significant and complex, affecting multiple levels.
At a personal level, cyberbullying impacts the physical and emotional health of victims, being associated with stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem.
However, aggressive online behavior can also have organizational consequences, which directly affect employee performance. Examples of such implications are: low job satisfaction, reduced work involvement (work engagement) or absenteeism.
About the Romanian Diversity Charter
Launched in 2018, the Romanian Diversity Charter is based on a set of general principles, voluntarily assumed by the signatories. The goal is to promote diversity, non-discrimination, inclusion, and equal opportunities in the workplace.
The Charter supports signatories to implement or extend their commitment to diversity management beyond legal rigors and obligations. By signing the Charter, diversity takes on practical dimensions, becoming an integral part of business and organizational culture.
Romania is the 21st country in Europe with a Diversity Charter, counting 127 signatories to date – companies, SMEs, NGOs, public institutions, employers’ associations, business associations, academic institutions, etc.
Stay connected with MKOR
We, at MKOR, like to always be up to date with the latest trends in business, marketing, or technology.
That is why, besides the projects that solve specific needs of our clients, we constantly conduct our own studies and market reports, which we make available for free to anyone who wishes to access them.
Until then, you can explore our Portfolio or the Recommendations section. And if you have a strategic challenge that you want us to solve together, get in touch, we are just a virtual coffee away!
